Myung-whun Chung, Seong-Jin Cho, and Yunchan Lim to Perform on Lotte Concert Hall’s 10th Anniversary Stage

Lotte Concert Hall is embarking on a new 'voyage' as it marks its 10th anniversary. From the opening led by conductor Myung-whun Chung to performances by Seong-Jin Cho and Yunchan Lim, ten special concerts featuring world-renowned musicians will fill next year’s stage. The central theme for next year’s special performances is 'voyage,' reflecting the hall’s ambition to serve as a bridge across genres, eras, and tastes, extending beyond classical music.
The 10th anniversary festivities will open on February 28 next year, with conductor Myung-whun Chung once again collaborating with the Staatskapelle Dresden, founded in 1548. Pianist Yunchan Lim will join to perform the Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 54 by Robert Schumann, offering a deeply romantic and expressive musical journey.
Pianist Seong-Jin Cho, who has maintained a special relationship with Lotte Concert Hall, has been named the '2026 Lotte Concert Hall Artist-in-Residence' and will present two exclusive performances. Shortly after his victory at the International Chopin Piano Competition in 2015, he held his first solo recital in Korea at Lotte Concert Hall. In August 2017, for the hall’s first anniversary, he performed Beethoven’s 'Emperor' Piano Concerto.
On July 14 next year, Seong-Jin Cho will be joined by his musical colleagues for a chamber music concert. The lineup includes Daishin Kashimoto, concertmaster of the Berlin Philharmonic; clarinetist Wenzel Fuchs; hornist Stefan Dohr; Kyungmin Park, the first Korean tenured member of the Berlin Philharmonic as violist; and Kian Soltani, an Iranian-Austrian cellist. On July 19, Seong-Jin Cho will give a solo recital, presenting a wide-ranging repertoire including Partita No. 1 in B-flat major, BWV 825, Piano Suite, Op. 25, Faschingsschwank aus Wien, Op. 26, and 14 Waltzes by Frédéric Chopin.
World-class orchestras will also grace the stage. The Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, representing Finland, will make its Korean debut on October 22 next year. Under the baton of Jukka-Pekka Saraste, they will perform a symphony by Jean Sibelius, and violinist In Mo Yang, winner of the International Jean Sibelius Violin Competition, will join for Sergei Prokofiev Violin Concerto.
Conductor Teodor Currentzis, who has created a sensation in the classical music world, will meet Korean audiences for the first time. On November 17–18 next year, with the Utopia Orchestra he founded, Daniel Lozakovich will perform the Shostakovich Violin Concerto, and Alexander Melnikov will play Piano Concerto No. 2 in F major, Op. 102, by Dmitri Shostakovich.
Several familiar faces will also return. On November 21–22 next year, legendary musicians Charles Dutoit, age ninety, and Martha Argerich, eighty-four, will once again share the stage with the KBS Symphony Orchestra. The two maestros, who were once married, have continued to perform together as musical partners for many years after their separation.
Violinist Ray Chen, who has led a new wave in classical music through online platforms, will return to the 10th anniversary stage on June 4 next year. Organist Cameron Carpenter, known for defying conventions, will visit Lotte Concert Hall on April 7, ten years after his appearance in the 2016 opening series. Organist Olivier Latry, who previously performed in 2017 and 2023, will return to Korea to present a world-class organ duo performance with his wife, Lee Shin-young.


jashin@fnnews.com Shin Jin-ah Reporter